Miriam Fernandes. Image by Peter Andrew Lusztyk. Design by Key Gordon. Image courtesy of the Shaw Festival.

 

Join us for an open rehearsal featuring highlights from Karma (Part 1) of Why Not Theatre’s epic, internationally celebrated production of Mahabharata.

Before the performance, we invite the community to a cocktail reception (cash bar) at 5:30 PM, followed by a community meal at 6:00 PM with a welcome from director Ravi Jain in Vistas Dining Room

For a complete experience, guests can book an optional overnight package, which includes a one-night stay at Banff Centre Hotel and breakfast.

After the Banff Centre, Mahabharata travels to Australia, Toronto, Ottawa, and one more stop to be announced.

Highlights from Mahabharata: Karma (Part 1), The Life We Inherit

King Janamejaya is holding a ritual sacrifice in which he will kill all the snakes in the world to avenge his father’s death. In hopes of ending this cycle of revenge, a storyteller is summoned to tell King Janamejaya the tale of The Mahabharata. The storyteller tells of the rival Pandava and Kaurava clans, and the choices that lead to their infamous Game of Dice.

Through playful narration, classical Indian dance, and a live band, the ensemble tells the stories of humans struggling to build a just world in the face of competition, jealousy, and rage. Exploring the themes of storytelling, ecocide, and dharma (empathy), Part 1 begins Mahabharata’s epic journey that asks, “When everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong, how can one end a spiral of revenge?”

Don’t miss the chance to experience this open rehearsal, followed by a Q&A with co-adaptors and creators Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes!.

 Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata was made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.